I’m a huge fan of keeping things simple in the kitchen. I buy basic kitchen tools and equipment that can serve multiple purposes, and leave the specialty gadgets behind. People have been making great food for thousands of years without tools dedicated to one task (hello, banana slicer, I’m looking at you!) or electronic gadgets that are supposed to make your life easier, but really just clog up your countertops and cabinets. So I’ve made this list of kitchen tools and equipment that will help you run an efficient, no-frills kitchen.
You don’t need to purchase all of these things before you begin making meals at home. Instead, think of this as a goal list of items that you plan to acquire over time. These are my go-to kitchen basics. These are the things that make my kitchen work.
Pots & Pans
The most important quality to look for when purchasing pots and pans is the thickness or weight of the metal. If you buy pots and pans that are constructed out of thin metal, they will not cook food evenly, and you will have difficulty achieving good results with recipes. I have had two sets of pots and pans that have worked well for me, the Simply Calphalon Non-Stick set, and the OXO Tri-Ply Stainless Steel Pro set, as well as a few cast iron pieces. If buying pieces individually, I suggest the following sizes and types:
- 2-Quart Sauce Pot
- 6-Quart Stock Pot
- 8-Inch Skillet
- 10-Inch Skillet
- Deep Covered Sauté Pan – This is probably one of the most versatile pots or pans in the kitchen. It can be used as a skillet or a pot, and can often take the place of two different pieces.
- Cast Iron Skillet – Cast iron very affordable, lasts generations, and is perhaps the best at cooking food evenly, but it does take a little more effort and upkeep. You can’t just throw this one in the dishwasher, so consider this purchase carefully. Make sure it matches your lifestyle!
- Dutch Oven – This is another great multi-purpose kitchen piece. It can take the place of the 6 quart stock pot listed above, it can go from the stove top to the oven, and can act very much like a slow cooker by keeping moisture in, cooking with low radiant heat, and making your food extra succulent. They can be a bit pricier, but you will get a lot of use out of it!
Tip: I like to buy pieces with glass lids, when possible, so I can see what’s happening inside the pot without removing the lid and letting steam escape. I also try to get pieces that do not have plastic on the handle, so they can go from stove to oven, if needed.
Bakeware
- Glass or Ceramic Casserole Dishes (one large, one small) – These can be used not only for casseroles, but also for roasting a variety of meat or vegetables. Extremely versatile!
- Baking Sheets (set of three) – Again, one of the most versatile pieces in my kitchen. Just about anything that goes in the oven will have a baking sheet under it.
- Muffin Tin – Good for muffins, or other small portion dishes like breakfast egg cups, mini meat loaves, and more.
- 9-inch Pie Plate (glass or ceramic)
- Pizza Pans (for pizza-holics like me. I prefer perforated pizza pans for crispy crust)
Prep Tools & Kitchen Gadgets
- Mixing Bowls (glass or stainless steel)
- Cutting Boards (I also like to use cutting mats, like these, for a quick clean surface when chopping multiple items)
- Measuring Cups and Spoons – I prefer metal to plastic
- Liquid Measuring Cup (microwave safe, 2 cup volume)
- Spoons, Spatulas, Whisks (metal or wood, preferred)
- Instant Read Thermometer (save yourself from the perils of food poisoning!)
- Colander
- Chef’s Knife – This is the workhorse in your kitchen. Invest well, if you can. If you have larger hands you’ll want a 10″, if you have smaller hands an 8″ might be a better fit.
- Bread Knife
- Paring Knives (great for small jobs)
- Cheese Graters (One of the most used items in my kitchen, good for WAY more than just cheese! Make sure to get both fine and coarse graters)
- Can Opener
- Rolling Pin
Storage and Supplies
- Parchment paper
- Aluminium foil
- Cling wrap (plastic wrap)
- Mason Jars (super multi-purpose and they last a lifetime)
- Resealable storage containers
- Kitchen Towels – Basic “bar mop” kitchen towels (if you’ve ever worked in a commercial kitchen, you know how valuable these are)
Appliances
I don’t use many appliances, but these have gotten GOOD use in my kitchen!
- Slow cooker (Doesn’t need to be fancy, 5-7 quart is a good size)
- Food processor (The exact one I use is no longer in production, but this is the next generation of it.)
- Hand Mixer – For those times when you just don’t have the energy to whisk by hand
What are your “must-have” kitchen basics? Share your knowledge and experiences in the comments below!
Ive used budgets bytes alot this website has been an essential tool since highschool
Looking forward to some good food for little money. Everyone s broke these days. Tough being retired and on fixed income. I was brought up on cooked food as I hate to eat frozen or microwave food. Yout site seemed like just the ticket. Thanks for sharing all these great recipes.
I need to lose 20 lbs but can’t follow diet plans that have preplanned foods like kale, spinach, oatmeal, salmon: just seems like all the foods are ones I don’t like. Saying that I also need help picking foods that I like that are diet worthy to lose weight. Does that make sense. I am starting to bike and walk but I don’t eat but at night and then I binge. Help!
Coffee pot, teapot, or a hot water pot, cookie jar, tongs. If you can only afford one get the longest one, and the ones coded with silicone are worth the extra money for most jobs and an immersion blender.
Rice cooker. I love rice but could never keep from either burning it or under-cooking it no matter whose instructions I followed, so I bought a low-cost one that I use at least once a week.
I have LOVED this website for years! As a vegetarian, I appreciate the massive amount of entree and side recipes that I can eat, and are made with ingredients i can easily find. Easy to follow recipes and helpful extras are everywhere on this website. Keep up the exceptional work!
I have found a pressure cooker to be a time saving kitchen essential. I can cook a whole chicken or pot roast in 30 minutes or less. To be clear, a pressure cooker is not to used as a pressure canner which is a larger and more expensive appliance.
So glad I stumbled on to your site, and am planing to cook the Mexican lime soup tomorow.
Any chance you will/ or can label recipes that are type 2 or pre diabetic friendly, and low cholesterol or options to reduce cholesterol. It seems that more and more people have one or both of these conditions and it is very labour intensive to find recipes that work when having friend over with these conditions that are budget friendly most seem to be keto based which is loaded with expensive ingredients.
Unfortunately, we don’t have the proper credentials to be labeling recipes according to specific health or medical needs, and the nutrition data that we provide is only a general estimate, so we can’t definitively say something is low cholesterol, low sodium, etc.
As a person with diabetes, I offer these suggestions for Marc. Main dish, salads, and fresh fruit. Especially look for ones that do not have potatoes or rice or pasta. Or make a big pot of soup or chili and offer plain chopped cabbage for the crunch instead of crackers, make your meals, soup and salad instead of soup and a sandwich. And use broth soups or tomato base instead of cream, base or cheese. Fresh fruit your best options are berries or apples. Learn to make chili your best friend for entertaining. Dry beans are cheap. Serve. with raw vegetables and an apple.
Just offering some additional advice for diabetics that might be a bit easier to follow and less restrictive, especially if you’re trying to accommodate for someone with diabetes. I am diabetic and will spare the long drawn out explanation, but you can absolutely eat carbs as a diabetic and you don’t need to necessarily swap for non carb options. You just have to make sure you aren’t *only* eating carbs. The best meals/snacks for a diabetic have a balance of fat, protein, fiber, and carbs. So if you make a pasta dish, pair it with a salad and a nice protein. Potatoes and rice are fine as long as there is a balance. The same is true for sugary snacks and sweets make sure you balance it out.
Thank you for your modest, common-sense recommendations. I did splurge on a Vitamix for smoothies and soups, and, as a bachelor, I find an Instant-Pot to be a great set it and forget tool.
What is the pan used for making scrambled eggs? As in the hummus egg tacos or breakfast burritos recipes. I don’t see it in this list. I finally bought the oxo pan seen in so many recipe photos and LOVE it. So I’d like to take a look at whatever pan is used for the scrambled eggs. Thanks!
The pan in the breakfast tacos recipe is a ceramic Greenpan. Honestly, I don’t like it very much so that’s why I don’t have it linked. The ceramic coating got damaged very quickly and I don’t like the way it retains heat (it almost holds heat TOO much, making things burn very quickly).
You have a dead link for the food processor
I’ve found a rice cooker to be incredibly helpful (rice is a staple in my largely gluten free household) – I know I could cook in it a pot, but I struggle with not burning it. (I also love that mine will keep the rice warm for up to 24h so I can slack off for a while on putting leftovers away.)
I’m interested in what food processor you use, but the link is broken. Will you update that, please? Thank you!